Mariëlle Heuts: deputy director Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

Mariëlle is, within the faculty's management team, responsible for the portfolios Strategy & Policy, Marketing & Communication, People & Development, Research Office and Grants Office . According to Mariëlle, responsibility for the implementation of these services lies primarily with the services themselves: "For me, trust is the basis for good leadership. I motivate my colleagues in the teams to take control and to advise and improve based on their wealth of knowledge and expertise. Above all, I think it is important to be approachable and I want to convey that difficult issues can be discussed.‘ However, it doesn't stop here for Mariëlle: "Integrity and job satisfaction are important core values for me."

For the past fifteen years, Mariëlle worked for the Netherlands' largest pension administrator, APG, as a (strategic) management consultant, providing guidance to departments and teams in the areas of Customer Experience, Data Intelligence and Innovation, among others. "My current portfolio is very similar to my previous experience, only in a completely different context." That context, healthcare, has a certain appeal. ‘I look for social relevance in my work,’ says Mariëlle. "Education, research and healthcare really matter. They are indispensable pillars of our society. Being able to work at the intersection of these three pillars was the deciding factor for me to commit fully to the job."

And that is what Mariëlle does, especially on issues that touch on the human aspect of business operations. In her previous position at APG, she spoke candidly about the importance of closing the gender pay gap. In the past, she has also been committed to attracting people who are distanced from the labour market. At Maastricht University, she sees momentum for further steps in the area of social safety. "Everyone has the right to be themselves, including in the workplace. Diversity leads to more colourful perspectives and enriches collaboration: between our own teams and departments, but also with other faculties and the hospital, for example."

Mariëlle has taken over the position of deputy director from Marlies van Dongen, who has taken early retirement. “Thanks to her rich history within UM, Marlies was an enormous help to me during our handover period. I was able to draw on her wealth of knowledge and experience. That gave me the opportunity to get off to a flying start.”

Text and Photography: Ruben Beeckman